Gabi LeBlanc Log: Difference between revisions

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=8.2.12=


Just got a good amount of weeding done while it was still overcast.  Planted more lettuce, and threw out some beans onto the roof of the old shop with mulch to see if they'll sprout up there.  Aidan had a fantastic idea of using it as a garden because it's extremely close to the well.
[[Category:Personal Logs]]
 
Here's a visual representation of how long I've been here:
 
[[File:First Sprout.jpg |thumb| First sprout at OSE]]
[[File:Cucumbers.jpg |thumb| The same plant: cucumbers gone wild]]
 
Oh, and I made a beefier version of the subsoil blade attachment.  As for sourcing, I found a tube that'll work, just need bolts and 1" thick metal.
It rained this morning, makes everybody move a little more slowly.  It's quiet in the shop, there's a hen snooping around and keeping me company.
 
We've got another doe, she came with the name Genny (short for General).  Her litter record is 9-10 kits, she was the foundational brood doe for the lady I bought her from, and she sold for $30 pre-bred.  She'll have her first litter with us in 32-34 days (sometime around early September).
 
=8.1.12=
 
Happy August!  Here's what kept me from going to bed on time last night: [[File:Subsoil Plow.jpg |thumb| Subsoil Plow Design]]
 
This will attach to our single spade plow and serve as a subsoil plow for the keyline.  Just need to find the parts, build it, and weld a hitch onto Lifetrac that is compatible with the mower as well as the rake.
 
Picking up a big momma rabbit, she'll come pre-bred so we'll have our first litter in about a month.  Got the elevations on the site map, labeled and numbered the grid, and now I can start zoning.  Graham and I are talking about roads and paths and waterworks today.
 
Today looks like electric fence cleanup, site planning, meetings, rabbit acquisition, letter writing to my family, kombucha brewing, and whatever else will fit in.  Planted an experimental ginger root bud today.  They usually grow in tropical conditions, so I might be able to grow it if I bring it in the greenhouse and keep it really wet.
 
=7.28.12=
 
My new name is Mudpuppy.  Lots of stuccoing today and we put up a lot of the ceiling in the last four rooms of the HabLab.  Got them stuffed with straw and finished a corner of the outer plaster.  OH!  Finally got a contractor to pick up his phone!  Dennis Brinton, of Brinton Construction (Gower, MO), will be coming out to look at our site and talk about numbers for digging us a pond.  He's working on a pond right now but after that he's got an opening, so he'll be stopping by sometime in the coming weeks and then I'll be able to figure out what we can afford in terms of time, resources, labor, geography, and budget.
 
Now I'm covered in mud, drinking kombucha, and wondering how today could get any better.
 
We've finally got some nice weather.  It's downright pleasant.  Got the Horto Domi water set up, cleaned up some weeds around the site.  We'll be interplanting brussel sprouts, beets, cabbage, dill, bush beans, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower.  Will's installing the electric components tomorrow.  Rabbits are comfy in their hutch.  Found 4 baby does for sale in Kansas City for $20, Florida Whites.  Could be a hit, they are very feed efficient.  Found a climbing tree right behind the SolarCube.  Marcin and I got up pretty high, at least 50 feet.  Got my laundry done (bucket-style).  Had a good meeting yesterday for the waterworks here.    Figuring out what we'll be eating in the fall and winter, we'll have 6-8 mouths to feed on-site.  Aaron's supposed to get here today!
 
To Do:
*Biochar tutorial for Graham and Parker
*Move the electric fence
*Start the site plan
*Stake out contours with Graham
*Harvest the rest of the oleaster
 
Of a lesser priority:
*Work on greenhouse design with Parker and Graham
*Weld a backbar or a hitch on LifeTrac
 
++Oop, turns out my day CAN get better.  Parker just brought a haul of culled produce from the grocery store.  I'm sitting in front of a bowl of cherries and watermelon.
+++Double oop!  We have a new prospective farm apprentice!
 
=7.26.12=
 
Tim sent me this [https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=000e119ddd&view=att&th=138c393b82ddd29c&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=file0&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8kFxXHKm1q777BFIzspUW3&sadet=1343322747650&sads=-n4D_PFqBikhX8e-idspSJWCwQs&sadssc=1 graphic] that he's been working on for the USDA.
 
Worked on Sketchup today until it made my eyes bleed.  Surveyed with Graham using the rotating laser level for the first time.  It rained last night!  Finally!  Not very much, but I'll take what I can get.  Here's the [http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=c43795fdb5a323ed37c45195cc7bd572&prevstart=0 Site Map], still in progress.
 
[[File:Site Map Xray.jpg |thumb| here's a taste]]
 
Picked up the rabbits from a home in northeast Maysville last night.  $20 for one buck and one doe.  The doe is an opal New Zealand cross, and the male is a blue steel New Zealand cross.  The opal and blue steel refer to their coloring.  They're pretty beautiful, and have a ways to go before they're old enough to have babies.  I'm keeping an eye on craigslist to expand our collection of breeding females.  I'm feeding them forage, they seem to be adjusting nicely to fresh wild carrot.
 
=7.24.12=
 
[http://www.wethetrees.com/projects/18-water-independence-project Hey look!  They're doing what we're doing!]  The difference: they're looking to support a homestead, we're looking to support a village.
 
Mark Finch came buy to dig some test holes looking for water.  He found it, after coming up dry a couple of times close to the house, we decided to go for the area near the old well.  He found water 25 feet down, and will be drilling that will soon.  There's a bunch of youtube videos up on it.
 
Setting up some rabbit cages, there's a few rabbits in Maysville that I'd like to buy to feed out for wintertime.  Looking for New Zealands, crosses or otherwise.  John the carpenter gave us a bunch of cages today, setting those up right now.
 
=7.22.12=
 
Monday looks like: surveying, meetings, and more surveying.
 
GoodCow's in her new pasture, she's eating ragweed like a machine.  Found a recipe for fly spray that's pretty much oil, vinegar, and essential oil.  Sounds like salad dressing, we'll see if it works.
 
Less sick, finally.  It's been way too hot, but looks like rain on Thursday.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  Researching for our off-grid long-term water infrastructure.  Marcin's back, Marshall's getting back tonight, and Tristan arrives later as well.
 
=7.18.12=
 
Surveying is going smoothly, Graham's a great partner.  It's kind of hard to work out in the sun in the afternoon, too hot and I start feeling woozy because I'm still a bit sick.
 
Gave a little seminar yesterday on agroecology and permaculture for the Greeks.  Seems like they've been largely exposed to conventional farming in school so it was interesting for them to hear what we're doing and how things compare/contrast to what they've been learning about in school.
 
=7.16.12=
 
[[Image: Chokecherry_jam.jpeg]]
Morning harvest: tomatoes, grapes, chokecherries and elderberries for jam
 
Burning biochar right now, got 1000' worth of elevations, in 50' increments for the site survey, got Goodcow on some new grass.  It's very hot and I am very sooty.  Going to Maysville later to check the post and pick up some everclear for making tinctures.  Using the biochar flame to finish up the chokecherry jam that I started this morning.  The recipe goes something like this: ~2 lbs chokecherries, a couple bunches of elderberries, a couple bunches of grapes, sugar, water.
 
Physically, I'm scraping by.  Just hoping nothing lays me out before I can finish surveying.
 
=7.15.12=
 
Set up a buried drip-line for lettuce in the garden plot, where the chickens have eaten a couple of rows of sorghum.  Getting some chicken wire from St. Joseph so I can just wrap it up and not worry about them getting through the cow panels. Just found this gem:
 
[http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/MDCLibrary/MDCLibrary2.aspx?NodeID=1995 Wild Edibles of Missouri]
 
Starting surveying on Monday, finally!  Processing liquids like a madwoman: skimming cream, making butter, brewing kombucha, et cetera.  Right now I'm harvesting the last of the blackberries, some oleaster berries, and the beginnings of elderberries, tomatoes, and grapes. They are delicious!  Apparently our neighbors have been suffering from strange fungal infestations on their plants, a bunch of people were buying sprays at the store and talking about it.  Fortunately ours are vigorous and healthy, without having to use chemicals.
 
Our basal infrastructure has been in flux lately: water and power specifically.  We're doing good work to fix the problems, though, and planning permanent solutions while producing short term band-aids.
 
Thinking more about our earthworks here.  Graham has great ideas about creating rock blocks to stop the erosion down the ruts up the hill, plus creating berms of biomass, rather than digging in: we'd mow down the weeds and push them into rows on contour, they would catch water and more organic matter as they break down into soil.  Thinking about the pace of nature.  It can not be controlled.  That is fact, and is neither good, bad, detrimental, nor advantageous.  It is what we make it.  Thinking more about the intersection between "replicable" and "scalable," while working in parallel with nature as well as global culture.
 
Listening to a recording of Foucault; "Courage de la Verite."  I quite like his voice, and the French is greasing my rusty lingual gears.  Drinking goldenrod tea for my sore throat.
 
The coming week looks like: planting greens, milking and grazing the cow, and lots of surveying.  It will be very hot, and no rain in the forecast.  Spun some yarn today, that was a good think to keep me indoors and resting.  Feeling a bit run down, as in sick, but I'm planning on waking up bright tomorrow.  I don't plan on being sick, and sometimes that makes all the difference.
 
=7.13.12=
 
Parker brought so many goodies!  Hoses, seeds, a moisture meter, some nutrient testing supplies, and lots of furniture.  Thanks Parker, it's great having you here!
 
Yesterday I built a [http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/FeF_Weather_Station rain gauge], wrote a lot: [http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Neosubsistent_Agriculture_Model FeF Agriculture Model], had a meeting with George about the site plan, and troubleshot water infrastructure with the group.
 
Tim came today and we dumped manure all morning.  The trees will be happier for it.  Gave Tim some milk, it is great to have something to give to our friends and volunteers!  Going to bring some milk to Walt soon, he dumped some wood for us that's perfect for turning into biochar.  Moved my stuff out of the SolarCube, now all my tools are organized and put away in the greenhouse.
 
To do with the rest of today:
*test hoses, turn the leakiest ones into drip irrigation
*dig irrigation into the sorghum rows that aren't doing well
*plant lettuce
*cover with shade screen (keeps chickens out too)
*connect hose to white pipe, the water pressure inside the dirty water barrels will feed the drip (I need to dump all 16 barrels in the garden because we've been cleaning new barrels and "editing" the water system so we have clean water at the house)
*milk milk milk milk
 
=7.11.12=
 
Yesterday I trimmed the fenceline, set up the electric fence, realized the solar charger requires multiple days to charge before initial use, added procedural and design plans to the [[Surveying 101]] page, made FeF's first cow-cheese, harvested oleaster berries, and took a photo as an afterthought.
 
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Said farewell to Matt, we'll be missing him.
 
Took Aidan and Yoonseo to the doctor today.  I still have time to put GoodCow in her electric fence later today.  I'm writing a [http://opensourceecology.org/w/index.php?title=Neosubsistent_Agriculture_Model model] for neosubsistent agriculture at Factor e Farm.  It's very possible that I have the same ick that everyone else is ailing from, I've got different symptoms, but I don't feel tip top so I'm going to take the opportunity to plan, brainstorm, and write.
 
=7.9.12=
 
Replaced the water pump filter today (thanks Andy and Brianna for picking up the new filter!).  Had to improvise with the fittings, that was fun.  Set up the posts for the electric fence, step two is trimming the fence line and putting on the insulators and livewire.  It'll be up and running tomorrow.  Going to town for some mineral salt for the cow, and tonight Matt, Graham and I will be taking a walk and outlining some future plans for permaculture as well as figuring out where the best spot is for Vann's hexayurt.  Got the transplants in the ground, we'll see if they take, considering that it's way outside their season.  Digging up some cattail root and making ragweed tea for a couple of sickies.
 
=7.8.12=
 
To Do:
*Install a rain gauge, develop a plan with Matt for a weather station, collaborate with Yoonseo
*Pasture plan for GoodCow, electrical fence
*Write Surveying plan as per Chris' ideas, write initial site plan, Surveying starts when tripod arrives (probably mid-week)
*Get all the transplants in the ground
 
=7.7.12=
 
Here's a [http://youtu.be/jXipqe3VTEU video] talking about intensive grazing, as I'm sure the forage will change through the seasons.
 
Working on management and my personal relationship with hierarchy and personnel organization.  It's a challenge, but I feel good about the work I'm doing.  Coordination with the Greeks is definitely on the up and up, and I'm doing my best to make this a fulfilling experience for all of us.
 
GoodCow is a balm on my conscience.  She is so calm and I can't help but relax and feel right in the world when I spend time with her.  We're incredibly lucky to have happened on such a gentle soul.  I've met many many cows, but none have had the disposition that she exhibits.  I am grateful.
 
Praying for a spot of moisture tonight or tomorrow, but I'm not counting my chickens before they're hatched.  The turnips are coming up!  Spent the hottest part of the day working on planning for the future.
 
Graham, Aidan, and I took a good walk around, noting the plants' growth, the soil, the watershed of this property, and speculated on building roads and what we can do to mitigate erosion.
 
---
 
So the rain turned out to be more than a spot.  Rolling thunder and buckets of rain.  Had a long meeting with the Matt, Marshall, Aaron, and Brianna towards the end.  It sapped most of my energy for the evening.
 
=7.5.12=
 
Ran the numbers on [http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Management_Plan_for_Dairy_Cow GoodCow]:
*FeF previously bought milk from the local grocery, in half gallon jugs, and paid $4 per half gallon plus a $2 deposit for the jug.  Currently we consume all of GoodCow's milk, and if we were still buying this milk it would cost about $25 per day plus the cost of transportation.
**Earning her keep: $1262 capital investment/$25 worth of milk per day = 50 days until she pays herself back
*She will be officially paying us back, considering ONLY the value of her milk, by late August.  She'll still have months left of milk left in her, not to mention the calf coming next spring, and one more year of milk.  After that year, we can choose to breed her, and her calf could be our up and coming dairy cow.
 
Looking forward to meeting Parker, Alex is coming mid-July, and Aaron is headed here with Sara coming a few weeks after that!  Community's happening right before my eyes.  We're having a meeting tonight, dubbed by Marcin: "Power, Sex, and Violence."  Graham uploaded a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-yLQV6GrKM&feature=plcp video] of me doing a rundown of consensus meeting, based on what I've learned living in cooperative communities.  Please excuse my uncouth vernacular. 
 
Matt pointed me to Joel Salatin's work.  I especially like his listed [http://www.polyfacefarms.com/principles/ principles].  Thinking about how our neighbors seems to graze, with small food crop gardens (albeit they use conventional techniques).  I'm thinking about the ratio we should keep of grazeland rotation vs. planted permaculture food forest.  Originally I wanted to have less grazeland here, but upon seeing the resources, and what others do with this soil, I'm thinking more about edible fences surrounding lush pastures where we have chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, etc.  Plus forage-fed rabbits in hutches.  Shade trees should be planted within these pastures, but not as closely as they might be in an orchard scenario.  Going to revise my original plans for our subsistence diet to reflect what I've learned in the past two and a half weeks.
 
Working on an electric fence today, planting 3 magic Moringa trees (horseradish tree) from Will's seeds, further research on solutions to make the chickens work for us a bit more effectively, going to attempt to get wood into small pieces to get a good biochar load tonight.  Just collected a few bundles of mint for the kitchen, should keep us supplied for a good long while.  Experimenting with drying chicory root in the hothouse, trying to get away from using propane entirely.  That means solar cooking, dehydrating, using the biochar kiln to heat large pots of stuff, and eating hand to mouth from the garden.
 
Possible thunderstorms on Sunday, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  It would be great to have some water flowing.  Our well's been slowing down, Marcin's been considering lowering the pump deeper into it.  Today I checked the flow and got 1/3 of a gallon per minute, Marcin also checked and got about 1/4 of a gallon per minute earlier in the day.  Here's a photo of the minute's worth of water in a half-gallon jug:
<html><img src="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=000e119ddd&view=att&th=1385924abade88b3&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=1406692797259448320-1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8kFxXHKm1q777BFIzspUW3&sadet=1341527038113&sads=3xT3DYfTKk7BzqX28UsLkLgQVNU" height="400px" width="600px" /></html>
 
=7.4.12=
Planting food for fall.  Matt gave me the holy grail - a seeding calendar for this area.  Transcribed it [http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Garden_Plan here].  Borrowed some seeds from Will: broccoli, kohlrabi, turnips, beets, cabbage, and bush beans.  Will also had extra dirt, so I told him to toss it in half barrels and I'll plant into those.  I'd like to bury some pvc to make beds that water from the bottom for less frequent watering and deeper root systems.
 
Taking out the trash (we have lots more waste produced now that there's almost double the number of people here) and teaching Matt how to milk GoodCow tonight.  Working more on management and long term planning as per Marcin's request.  Catching up on documentation, and experimenting with fermentation.  Kombucha's doing great so far, and the yogurt is fun to watch happen.  Graham's making killer sauerkraut out of Walt's cabbage.
 
A bunch of long term ideas bouncing around in my head:
*pigs
*meat rabbits
*edible fences
*preliminary site plans
*winter wheat
*grazing strategies
*tree grafting, figuring out what should be emphasized (mulberries, nuts, apples, pears, cherries, berries, elder)
 
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'Tis the season for oleaster!  They are commonly known as silver berry, wild olive, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_angustifolia etc.]  One tree was brimming today.  The rest have yet to get ripe, or they are a wild type that produce a very different fruit, time will tell.  They grow spectacularly here, fix nitrogen, and have edible little berries that are sweet-tart, astringent, provoke thirst, and are very tasty medicine to treat joint pain.  Oh, and that apple is from our tree.  They're doing quite well despite lack of rain.  What kind of apple?  The delicious kind.
 
=7.3.12=
 
Today was hot.  So hot I fell asleep in a few places unexpectedly.  Yet, still managed to get things done.  Milking, covered sunflower seeds with hay, showed the Greeks around the orchard and the garden, picked up a new halter for GoodCow from the hardware store, baked a cake for Yoonseo's coming-home, milked again, watered the grains, planted beans.  Corn's coming up well, and the sweet potatoes and cucumbers are starting to leaf out a lot.  We got a metal blade on the string trimmer, now it's much more appropriate for our landscape and works a lot faster.  We'll be transplanting the melons and squash in a couple of days, then the three sisters will be united at last!
 
This is coming from a person who hasn't eaten dairy products in at least 5 years - raw milk is AMAZING.  I wasn't expecting to be able to digest it, but I've been having sips, then gulps, then a full glass today and it seems that my lactose-intolerance was actually pasteurized-milk-intolerance.  Makes sense, Pasteur had a great idea for killing germs, but he didn't account for unforeseen consequences of heat treating food.
 
Our cow is incredibly talented:
*She is a water filter that rarely needs maintenance
*She turns grass into human food
*She fertilizes our soil
*She's a lawn mower that doesn't need fuel
*She does all this effortlessly, closing her eyes and chewing away
 
I have a headache, but it's easy to ignore with so many wonderful distractions around me.
 
=7.2.12=
 
Got the teen chicks into the reinforced chicken tractor, now they can graze and they're loving the young Queen Anne's Lace!  It's good to see them out of their baby cage.
 
Keeping the chickens out of the garden by sticking cardboard in the fence.  I'm trusting that if they can't see through the fence, they won't challenge it.  Time will tell, I'm just trying to tip the balance in their favor.  If they eat the sorghum sprouts, then I'll count it as a success in growing my own chicken feed, and hope that they leave some leftovers for us to use later.
 
The Greeks got here in due time, they had a flight delay so we had to make two trips, it was a late night trying to track down their new itinerary yesterday but all ended well.  They are here and happy.
 
Just got news that my kombucha came to the PO box!  Going to start a brew later today, we'll see how the starter survived shipment.
 
Spread some sunflowers out in front of the HabLab.  If they come up in time we can harvest the oil.
 
Today is a day of meetings, business, and GOODCOW.  She is coming here at 3 this afternoon, I am low on sleep but high on anticipation.  Expect a joyous homecoming news update later tonight.
 
To Do:
*Put out a trough for the cow's water
*Kombucha starter
*Soak, Seed beans
*Spread hay in garden and irrigate
*Spread hay and water sunflowers
 
Here's a funny tidbit, I just read this in [http://www.cultivatekc.org/ Cultivate Kansasa City]:
"On our recent simulcast with Iowa Public Radio (KCUR, HPM), farmer Issac Phillips from Richland, IA told us, “The Farmer of the Future will  have to be a livestock specialist, an attorney, an agriculture scientist, an accountant, and a veterinarian. You have to be a jack of all trades." While Kate Edwards of Wild Woods Farm told us, "The Farmer of the Future is not yet defined. It depends on those who aren't farmers." What do you think?"
 
Sounds accurate, at least from what I've experienced in my lifetime.  I'd revise this statement to include farmers of the "present", as many farms are going under (more so during recent past years of recession) and in order to stay in business many farms are changing, adapting, shifting, diversifying their models and strategies.
 
-later that day-
 
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsi-nWcD-So&feature=g-all-u GoodCow] is on-site and munching merrily on our grass.  Teddy delivered her in the afternoon.  Got her in a halter, off the trailer, and tethered out front to settle a bit.  I milked her about an hour ago, and she gave a solid gallon and a half.  That means 3 gallons per day, which might be more than we can drink, which means I'll definitely be finding creative ways of processing it, like making yogurt, butter, and cheese.  She's paid back at least 6 dollars of her original price, within the first two hours of being here.  Not to mention that she's brewing our calf for next year.  Teddy ultra-sounded her right before delivery, and estimated that she's 45 days pregnant, meaning we'll be having a calf early next April!  I can't wait to meet it.
 
I'm sitting next to her right now, she seems to fit in just fine at Factor e.  She's a quirky, lovable crossbreed, just like all of us.
 
=6.30.12=
 
Thoughts on living here after two weeks:
*everything I was excited about is even better than anticipated
*the bad things I anticipated finding out about..either don't exist or I just haven't looked hard enough
*the community here is amazing
*I feel like I have a radical amount of liberty here.  I make my own choices about how I spend my time, and I feel good about those choices because they benefit myself and others.  I have so many people at my fingertips with valuable knowledge, and they are more than willing to teach and help me.  I can be myself without holding back for the sake of others.  I don't have to fit into any kind of niche, I don't feel cramped mentally or physically or socially.  Part of my role here is to create my own environment to suit my own needs.  I feel empowered.
*I have been successful in making shifts in my lifestyle that I wanted to make:
**waking up early
**fostering zest for what I do that keeps me motivated and energized through any kind of challenges
**living in a way that I can be proud of (off-grid, low impact, adaptive and in tune with established cycles)
**ingesting fewer toxins
**being less exposed to consumer culture
**simplifying my life
**learning things that I have always wanted to learn, but didn't for one reason or another
**feeling like I can do absolutely anything, and knowing how to go about it even if it's completely novel
 
My biggest fear about leaving was that of losing relationships with the Davis community.  Turns out, almost everybody is accessible through the internet and I've been able to keep in contact with old friends.  Additionally, before I left I concentrated most on dissolving my sense of borders and separation, in order to dispel my impending trauma in becoming geographically separated from loved ones.  It actually worked.  I look up at the sky, and feel a thousand others doing the same.  Our hearts beat human blood, our feet stamp the same dirt, and we are all in this world together.  Loneliness is a far-away notion.  When I irrigate, I see Leo in our old garden watering tomatoes and contemplating life.  When I pick an apple, I see Lex tromping around our old farm harvesting pink ladies.  When it's too hot to sleep, I see myself and others congregating on Agrarian Effort porch late at night to fan each other's sweat and commiserate.
 
Of course, there are things I miss about where I came from, but I'm coming to realize that all of those things are also here, I just have to shift my perspective a bit:
*Dumpster Diving - I think I just haven't looked in the right place, but the storage system at FeF is more than fulfilling this category
*Neighborhood foraging - fewer fruit trees, but there is a diversity of edible weeds (cattails!)
*Organic produce - I kind of appreciate this one, it's all the more motivating to grow and forage
*Live music - Sure, there might not be a band playing every night, but we make plenty of music ourselves, day in and day out
 
Things I really appreciate about this place:
*the culture is different from my own, which is stimulating
*the trees grow tall and thick
*there is WATER almost EVERYWHERE
*it is not flat.  There are hills and I get to ride my bike up and down them.
*sometimes the sky comes up pink at dawn, and there are amazing clouds to stare at almost every day
*at night the stars shine in a thick twinkling mat
*FIREFLIES
*the sounds of insects and birds blend into a soothing white noise that lulls me to sleep
*it gets so humid that I ooze sweat and feel like a warm wet ball of clay
*I have fostered a strange affection for ticks
*Didn't know it before, but I am immune to poison ivy, for now
*elder trees grow all over the place!
 
=6.29.12=
 
Tested out the biochar kiln today!  Unfortunately, my phone ran out of juice before I could upload a video.  Same story with the standup for the day.  I'll try tracking down a charger tomorrow so I can get those online.  Very exciting burning, the biogas started flaming right on schedule, and it actually went way better than I expected.  Simple stuff to make, really.
 
Helped Aidan build his mattress.  First time using the string trimmer!  It's so shiny and new, I have a lot of respect for it.  Found out it came with a metal blade already, so now we have a tri-blade "and" a notched blade.  Perfect.
 
Read up a bit on surveying, got some writing done for the [http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Surveying_101 Wiki].
 
I've got a kombucha baby coming in the mail from an old housemate.  Should be here tomorrow, I can't wait to start brewing!
 
=6.28.12=
 
<html><img src="https://docs.google.com/drawings/pub?id=1hJjLzHQaiGTIopqC7u5YU3CzFiyczQq5HqmCUMOxSTg&amp;w=960&amp;h=720"></html>
 
Added a diagram to the [[Biochar]] wiki, and hopefully I can get a load started tonight so I can make a video of the process to demonstrate.  After that comes application, and you can bet I'll be documenting the results.
 
Finished spreading all of Tim's horse manure this morning, we rocked it from 7 to 11 and got it dumped and spread on the grapes, berries, and many trees going up the hill.  Discovered that we have a decent crop of asian pears coming in!  One of my favorite fruits!  The apples are also impressing me, we might have enough to bake a couple of pies!  I also had a happy discovery yesterday - one of the more dead-looking sweet potato slips grew a very promising leaf!
 
I've got Graham building me some hand tools from scrap metal, for when the weeds need discipline.  He made two hand hoes yesterday, and today I told him what I want to see in terms of a digging knife.  Cheap, quick, simple, built on-site, customizable, and much sturdier than ones I would find at a store.
 
=6.27.12=
 
Today I built a biochar kiln.  [[Biochar]] is pretty useful on a farm with deadwood as a byproduct.  I used a simple replication of the Gunther Folke Biochar design, minus the biogas reservoir.  It can be retrofitted if we ever see the demand for biogas here, which is very likely, but probably not for a few months at least.  If there is time tomorrow I'll start a load to demonstrate how it works.  I'll also draw up the design I came up with using very rudimentary materials (2 barrels in bad shape, rebar, some roofing metal, 3 nuts and bolts to hold up the inner lid.  [[Aaron_Makaruk|Aaron]] sent me this [https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=000e119ddd&view=att&th=1378f196764981de&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_h2qbdqxt0&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8kFxXHKm1q777BFIzspUW3&sadet=1340853489720&sads=C7JCOks12AMW4j2Qhe6NWdTYUFQ glimmer of inspiration] before I was even on-site, and it had been nagging in the back of my brain ever since I got here.  First taste of welding using the tools here, thanks Aidan!
 
Tomorrow I'll be shoveling horse manure ([https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=000e119ddd&view=att&th=13830466d8534f74&attid=0.2&disp=inline&realattid=d48f91cb28caa800_0.1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8kFxXHKm1q777BFIzspUW3&sadet=1340883549836&sads=RAitxf5XDxpBRhg-Iib162H7UgI Tim is awesome]), then taking Yoon Seo to the airport, as well as picking up Briana, plus 2 tents for our Greek guests who are arriving in a few days.
 
Been irrigating, chicken tending, keeping up with lots of visitors and collaborators ([http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/American_Farm_School American Farm School], Will Bratton for the [[Horto Domi]], a dairyman from Vermont who might prototype the GVCS dairy milker, to name a few)  Oh, addressed some envelopes today for the kickstarter.  It was great to see the breadth and scope of those addresses, really makes you realize where our audience comes from.  (Planet Earth!)
 
=6.26.12=
 
Corn and sorghum are in the ground, spinach and chard and cabbage are in planters, squash and melons are in seed flats, and everything got watered.  Good day today.  Starting to sleep more, that's a nice change.
 
I have diversified my technological capabilities!  Using [http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Ubuntu_Mac expert instruction], plus a USB flash drive, I now run linux on this silly little laptop.
 
 
=6.25.12=
 
Rome wasn't built in a day, but the chicken tractor was.  It's on wheels, is about 50 square feet, and is made entirely of what I scrounged on-site.
 
We'll plant corn, sorghum, and millet tomorrow.  I'll be starting squash seeds in the greenhouse for the three sisters, and transplanting some cucumber starts to a container with a trellis.  The blackberries are just now starting, and there are plenty of tomatoes even though none are getting color yet.
 
If I have time tomorrow I'll either stuff another straw mattress, or weld a biochar kiln.  FeF officially has its own string trimmer!  Wooo!
 
=6.24.12=
 
Today is my sister's birthday!  Happy birthday Celeste!!
It is also Aidan's birthday!  Happy birthday Aidan!!
To all those whose birthday it is, congratulations.
 
[http://youtu.be/hbrnNKqt6dg The first garden plot is all set to be planted!!] I've been manifesting some great timing with the weather, as soon as I finished this video, spread the rest of the cardboard, and went inside to make coffee, it started raining buckets.  Thanks, universe!
 
Yesterday I went to Kansas City and the surrounding areas.  First I dropped off Aaron at the airport.  (FeF already misses you, come back soon!)  Then I went south to pick up the electric fence from a craigslist ad.  Then I went to Kavitha's house and enjoyed great conversation and refreshment.  Even got to do my laundry!  (Thanks so much for everything, Kavitha!  The papasan is being put to very good use already.)  Then I got back to FeF to meet the visiting family.
 
Woke up this morning pre-dawn, stared out my window listening to the birds, waiting for the sun to give me an excuse to start my day.  The apples are falling larger and sweeter now, and the pears are delicious!  I've been roasting [https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=000e119ddd&view=att&th=13814beab058aeae&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=1405491879634534400-1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8kFxXHKm1q777BFIzspUW3&sadet=1340541789566&sads=AP8vD8z6ezr49OHLI29Xocm8cIA chicory] to make DIY coffee, it grows all over the place here.  In the photo you can see the plants, and the roots that I snipped off.  I figured the easiest, least consumptive way to roast it was to chop it fine.  It turned out great, brews like motor oil, no caffeine, free of charge, and the cost of transportation is the time it takes me to walk from the shop to the HabLab.
 
So this is the first full week I've spent at FeF.  I dig it.
 
=6.22.12=
 
Yesterday was pretty epic.
*[http://youtu.be/lzk0HH-2wQw I made my bed!]  [http://youtu.be/BzTnaIbUWa0 And slept in it!]
**Thank you [http://www.dancingrabbit.org/ Dancing Rabbit] for inspiring us!
*Tim mowed down a bodacious amount of ragweed and brush
*We tried plowing the mowed area, but ran into problems with the turning radius of LifeTrac with the plow mounted on the back corner.  Decided to use the bucket to scoop soil and mound it, now we have passable rows!  Aidan was plowing until 10 last night, and we very nearly finished but then the LifeTrac needed a break.  Laid out the cow panels, so today we'll be trying out the soil pulverizer and setting up the fence.  Then I can wet everything, cover it with cardboard so it'll be ready to plant.
*I got sunburnt.  Mild bummer, overshadowed by feelings of accomplishment.  I guess that means it was worth it.
*Marcin's gone so I'm keeping track of the well pump so we don't dry up.
*Chicks got their first taste of CRACKed corn yesterday.  They're lovin' it.
 
To Do:
Field Work:
*Sink rebar, wire panels
*In between existing rows:
**Plan A: use soil pulverizer
**Plan B: dig furrows and pile that soil into a third row
*Hydrate and cover with cardboard
Writing:
*I still need to write my [http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Gabrielle_Leblanc_Contract Contract]
*Working on the Garden Plan drawing for the south side, it's in progress.
*Continue Flashy Scrum Control Panel development for Neosubsistent Agriculture
*Write a letter to my folks so they know my address works out here.
 
=6.20.12=
 
Ordered everything we need last night.  Once I make a trip to Kansas City this weekend we'll have complete infrastructure set up for GoodCow (yes, that will be her name), the garden, and surveying the space.
 
Cut all the rebar I'd need for the electric fence.  [[Will Bratton]] might be coming out to build us a [[Horto Domi]].  Learned some basic CAD last night, thanks [[Yoonseo]]!  Never thought it would be that much fun, and we'll have more tutorials weekly, so now when I find myself with a spot of free time at night I can borrow someone's computer and design a sorghum press, fiber mill, a tool for <html><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutching">scutching fiber plants</a></html>, and anything else I've ever dreamed of wanting.
 
About to pick up the plow attachment for the tractor, and today will officially be my first time driving LifeTrac.  Excited?!  You bet!  Expect a video to come with a tractor tutorial for future LifeTrac users.
 
South Indian food tonight!  I can smell it and I can't wait.
 
Tomorrow looks like manure pick up, much belated mattress stuffing, and lots of yardwork.
 
=6.19.12=
 
Lots to do!  Zip zip zip!
 
We have SEEDS!
 
<html><img src="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=000e119ddd&view=att&th=13806a963d6b475b&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=1405238803014090752-1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P8kFxXHKm1q777BFIzspUW3&sadet=1340148416039&sads=gAd3AQ7pztVdhAJJuq-kNBrunuQ" height="400px" width="600px" /></html>
 
Thank you, Hummert Seed & Supply!  Brought a catalog back with me for next time.
 
Here's what I bought:
*Sorghum
*Rainbow Swiss Chard
*New Zealand Spinach
*Buttercrunch Lettuce
*Golden Acre Cabbage
*Crenshaw Melon
*Seven Top Turnip
*Sugar Baby Watermelon
*Golden Crookneck Squash
*White Bush Scallop Squash
*Stowell's Evergreen Corn
*Golden Bantam Corn
*Mississippi Silver Cow Peas
*Missouri Wonder Pole Beans
 
Carrots planted, parsnips planted, started some cukes, cilantro, dill, and kale.  We need to run the tractor through the south side of the greenhouse, cover it with cardboard, and plant it next week.  I'd like Marcin to run a tractor tutorial so everybody can learn who wants to, and we can document it for future residents.
 
Buying everything on the [[Gabi Shopping List]] right now.  It's a lot of stuff, and my job will be so much easier when we have a string trimmer.  I'm also itching to start surveying.  Thanks to [[Chris DeAngelis]] for loaning me The Fundamentals of Surveying, it's great!!  Also reviewing Dan Schellenberg's videos a few more times.
 
Learning some CAD basics tonight, my first project will be designing a sorghum press.  We'll need it, especially since I bought five pounds of seed today.
 
=6.18.12=
 
Woke up earlier than expected.  It's a gorgeous day, I've got computer things to do so I think I'll post up out of doors for the work.
 
Going to KS City today to pick up electric fence polytape.  New place for me, we'll see what food I can forage while I'm there.
 
Got a lead on sweet potato slips from the East Coast at Scott Farms.  We'll see what they've got.
 
Writing Garden Plan, finished up Survey Tools List.  Next up: concise shopping list encompassing everything I haven't bought yet.
 
Feeling pretty well adjusted, it's a bit like I've been here for weeks instead of 4 days.  Still feeling out the rhythm of the week, but I'm very comfortable here.  Unexpected, but encouraging.  It means that I made the right decision coming here and there's not a lot of jarring changes that I need to adapt to.  There are some small ones and I'm excited to learn and grow and change as I have the same effects on my environment.  Good people, good plants, good weather, soon to be good soil, and I am empowered by all of it.  Happy Monday!
 
To do:
*google map to Dwayne's house - done, thanks dorkmo!
*garden plan - in progress
*order shopping list
*os cartography software/sourcing - in progress
*review awesome books that chris lent me on surveying etc - in progress
*vlogs
 
Personal To-Do:
*Turn scrap Satellite Dish into Roof for Dog House
*Put more screws in my walls for hanging things
*GET MORE SLEEP.  Never expected that to be a problem here, but there you go.
 
=6.17.12=
 
Lots to do at once, I think I'll be working on my day off, since my energy is undiminished after only 2 days of being here.
 
Leaving to find our cow in about an hour, really excited to meet her for the first time.  Teddy, too.
 
Emailed MFA to see if they have rods, because my usual source, Livewire, is in California.  They're probably closed on Sunday, so I'll hear from them on Monday.  Just set up buying our first piece of the fence, the polytape.  Dwayne is selling it through craigslist, I'll be picking it up at 2:00 tomorrow.  These were his directions:
 
8294 W 335TH
69 TO FORT SCOTT
7 MILE SOUTH OF LEWISBERG
69 AND 335TH
 
Moved into the solar cube, because the hab lab is a bit too comfortable.  I prefer a place that is only used for sleeping, and doesn't have the space or accommodation for much else.  Also I wanted to live in the box, from the beginning my instincts told me that I wanted to live there.
 
In charge of the chicks while Briana is in Texas.  She'll be back in a week.
 
Paid deposit on cow, I am in love with her.  She's number 17, is a Jersey Holstein cross with Brown Swiss and Shorthorn genetics as well.  Teddy's dropping her off two weeks from Monday, so that's the 2nd of July.  Need to figure out what kind of grain to feed her so the transition to being grass fed doesn't do her harm.  Also it'll be her incentive treat every morning for milking.  She's docile, has a great udder, isn't too big, clear eyes, good feet, everything I would want in a cow.  Contemplating names.  Thank you to Teddy, for being such a friendly dairyman.  He truly loves his herd.
 
Set up my hammock in the wooded area over the creek bed.  Also found a berry patch in the ravine.  Gooseberries, mystery berries (look like black rasberries?), and picked some mulberries off the tree, too.  Blackberries are coming in, not near ripe yet but I'll be ready when they are!  Same story with the grapes.
 
=6.16.12=
 
Woke up early, did some sourcework for the cow, went to the Saint Joseph Farmer's Market with Aidan.  Found it pretty limited in terms of organic produce, only one farmer there sold organic food and it was mostly greens.  Also, more processed/canned foods than I was accustomed to seeing.
 
Met a guy named Joel who raises lamb, asked him what he does with his bummers, I'll probably be looking for some lambs to diversify our grazing polyculture in a couple seasons.
 
Found a couple more berries that I'd like to propagate here: aronia berry and gooseberry.  Pretty sure I can find some gooseberries if I just rummage around in the native trees.  Aronia berries we'd probably have to buy seed for, but it would be so worth it.
 
Came back, and after a quick meeting we started stuccoing one of the outer bedrooms at the HabLab.
 
Took a dip in Pony Express Lake and washed the stucco off my clothes.  Found a roadkill deer coming back, brought a couple bones with me for the dog to chomp on later.
 
Had a meeting with Marcin about the cow, talked to a guy in King City who can sell us a first calf heifer, jersey-holstein cross, for $1100.  He sounds personable, I can't wait to meet him.
 
=6.15.12=
 
Rolling down towards Factor E, I got an overwhelming sense of affection towards the native plants, the smells in the air, the moisture and lush green surrounding the creeks and ponds, and overall felt like I was heading to a rightful place.
 
Pulled up, everyone seemed to be asleep, gave myself a tour of the property, focused on not feeling daunted and instead inspired at all the potential here.  Moved into the HabLab, meaning I took a couple egg crates out of my car and put them in a convenient corner.
 
Met my team mates, had a meeting with Marcin outlining a concrete work plan.  Looks like the first focuses will be getting a dairy cow out here, surveying, getting the garden going, and
 
Did laundry in town, picked up mattress shells for straw stuffing.  Attempted straw stuffing, realized we were not using the correct tool.  Decided that a lawn mower is a better strategy.  Tried to borrow one from a neighbor, but he didn't have one.  Fortunately we didn't come back empty-handed, he gave us a bunch of beets, carrots, and onions.  We'll be using Tim Gravlin's lawn mower when he comes in later this week.
 
Engaged in some community-building card games!  I had to duck out eventually because I was nearly falling asleep at the table.
 
Slept the best sleep I've had in a while.  Excited and rushing into many projects at once, but I've got excellent folks around to help me keep my head on straight.

Latest revision as of 04:08, 17 December 2022

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